


Keeping Secrets

by tunglo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Blackcest, Brother/Brother Incest, M/M, Marauders' Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-24 20:26:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12020361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tunglo/pseuds/tunglo
Summary: Regulus tries to convince Sirius to stay.





	Keeping Secrets

**Author's Note:**

  * For [makiyakinabe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/makiyakinabe/gifts).



“What will you do?” Regulus demanded, sick fear crawling in his gut as Sirius emptied the contents of his dresser drawers into his school trunk. “Where will you go?”

They both heard what he was really asking.

'What will I do?'

'Why can’t I come with you?'

“You’ll be fine,” Sirius said blithely, armfuls of books joining his clothing, “you’ve always been their favourite.”

Regulus wasn’t so sure that was true. It was only that he tried - that he put in the effort. He had begged the Sorting Hat to place him in Slytherin. He went to extra tuition sessions and cultivated the right kind of friendships. Did as he was told and was polite to those his parents deemed worthy.

He did everything that he was supposed to. Lived his life the way their childhood story books said he ought to. In return he was being left behind, cast aside, and when the tears he couldn’t quite fight back did nothing to sway his brother, he tried something else entirely.

“Do they know, these people who are taking you in? Do they have any idea what kind of person you really are?”

That halted Sirius in his tracks. Had him turning startled eyes on him, and Regulus clung to the feeling of victory. Imagined he had plunged the knife in deep and now it was time to twist, because they never spoke of this in the daylight.

In truth, they never spoke of it at all. It simply happened, under cover of darkness, when they had nobody to turn to for comfort but each other. When their blood boiled and their bodies strained for contact, mouths hot and wet where they breathed in each other’s promises of silence.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sirius said, the words right but his voice not quite steady. “Nobody would believe a word you said. Even Mother would say you were lying for attention.”

Mother would, perhaps. Regulus had no intention of testing the hypothesis. Instead he took the book Sirius was holding - one of the fables about well behaved children who were rewarded for their dutiful loyalty - and dropped it into the open trunk with a thunk.

“If you are going,” he challenged, “it doesn’t matter what we do. Mother will disown you. We won’t be brothers.”

That hit its mark, he could tell. Sirius swallowed thickly, the reality of the situation settling over him. Then the anger overwhelmed whatever regret he might have felt. The frustration that Regulus always had the power to work beneath his skin. To make him doubt himself and his choices.

When they kissed it wasn’t the strange intimacy they shared beneath the covers. It was hard, vicious, and Sirius pushed him back so hard he cracked his head against the wall. They carried on regardless. Pulled at hair and tugged at clothing, and when it was over - when the buttons were torn from his shirt and their mingled release was staining the front of his trousers - Sirius couldn’t even bear to look at him.

“Nobody would believe you,” Sirius repeated, finally, buckling the straps of his luggage and turning his back.

Regulus stared at the closed door of their bedroom for a long time, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Trying to work out why after everything they had been through, everything they had been to each other, Sirius still didn’t understand the first thing about being a Black.

Keeping secrets was what they had been born to do.

**Author's Note:**

> As ever, feel free to chat / hit me with prompts over on Tumblr [@serenwib](http://serenwib.tumblr.com/). :)


End file.
